Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
07:45
A Manual Small Molecule Screen Approaching High-throughput Using Zebrafish Embryos
Published on: November 8, 2014
Chemical genetics: elucidating biological systems with small-molecule compounds.
Masaoki Kawasumi1, Paul Nghiem
1Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|June 15, 2007
Summary
Chemical genetics uses small molecules to study biological pathways, similar to classical genetics. This review covers screening methods, resources, and the discovery of new protein functions and therapeutic compounds.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Chemical genetics utilizes small molecules to investigate biological processes, mirroring mutagenesis in classical genetics.
- Two primary approaches exist: forward chemical genetics screens for compounds inducing phenotypes, and reverse chemical genetics targets specific proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review differences in small-molecule screening goals between industry and academia.
- To highlight recent advancements in high-throughput screening (HTS).
- To discuss available resources for chemical genetics research.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of chemical genetics strategies.
- Analysis of industry versus academic screening objectives.
- Overview of high-throughput screening technologies and resources.
Main Results:
- Identified key distinctions in industry and academic small-molecule screening goals.
- Summarized recent progress in high-throughput screening technologies.
- Cataloged publicly accessible compound collections, screening facilities, and databases.
Conclusions:
- Chemical genetic screens can uncover novel protein functions and pathways.
- Discoveries from screens advance therapeutic development and expand the chemical biology toolkit.
More Related Videos
11:58Optimizing the Use of a Liquid Handling Robot to Conduct a High Throughput Forward Chemical Genetics Screen of Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: April 30, 2018
10:49Identification of Small Molecule-binding Proteins in a Native Cellular Environment by Live-cell Photoaffinity Labeling
Published on: September 20, 2016
Related Concept Videos
02:55Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science that involves using principles from disciplines such as engineering, molecular biology, cell biology, and systems biology. It involves remodeling existing organisms from nature or constructing completely new synthetic organisms for applications such as protein or enzyme production, bioremediation, value-added macromolecule production, and the addition of desirable traits to crops, to name a few.
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
02:34DNA Microarrays
Microarrays are high-throughput and relatively inexpensive assays that can be automated to analyze large quantities of data at a time. They are used in genome-wide studies to compare gene or protein expression under two varied conditions, such as healthy and diseased states. Microarrays consist of glass or silica slides on which probe molecules are covalently attached through surface functionalization. Most commonly, the slides are prepared through the chemisorption of silanes to silica...
01:26Drug Discovery: Overview
Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...
01:29Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
03:31Labeling DNA Probes
DNA probes are fragments of DNA labeled with a reporter tag to enable their detection or purification. The resulting labeled DNA probes can then hybridize to target nucleic acid sequences through complementary base-pairing, and may be used to recover or identify these regions.
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...
01:24iChip
The cultivation of environmental microorganisms has long been hindered by the inability to replicate complex native conditions in vitro. The isolation chip (iChip) addresses this limitation by facilitating the growth of previously uncultivable microorganisms through in situ incubation. Designed for high-throughput microbial cultivation, the iChip comprises hundreds of microchambers, each capable of housing a single microbial cell. These microchambers are loaded with a mixture of molten agar and...